Lesley Groff, Epstein’s longtime assistant, to testify before Congress

Lesley Groff, who served as Jeffrey Epstein’s executive assistant for 18 years, will appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on June 9.

The committee sent Groff a letter on March 3 requesting her testimony in Washington. It said she has information that will assist its review of how federal authorities handled the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases.

Groff has maintained through her lawyers that she knew nothing of Epstein’s crimes. Her attorney, Michael Bachner, has said Epstein lied to her about the 2008 Florida plea deal and kept her isolated from his illegal conduct.

Groff began working for Epstein in 2001 after a headhunter arranged an interview at his Madison Avenue office. She managed his calendar, arranged travel and handled daily tasks that included booking daily massages. She later moved to work from his East 71st Street townhouse.

Emails show Groff routinely contacted young women to schedule appointments with Epstein. She also arranged flights, visas and payments, often in cash. One victim told the FBI that Groff scheduled massages that “turned sexual right away” and handled payments for an abortion and hotel stays.

Groff was named in Epstein’s 2007 non-prosecution agreement, which granted immunity to several employees. No criminal charges have been filed against her. Civil suits that named her were later dismissed.

In 2021, after a two-year investigation, federal prosecutors decided not to bring charges. Groff now lives in Connecticut with her husband and son.

Her appearance before Congress will follow earlier interviews with Epstein’s former accountant and lawyer. Those sessions produced no major new disclosures but highlighted the continuing scrutiny faced by people who worked closely with Epstein.